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India’s Critical Minerals Mission: A Bold Plan with Unanswered Questions

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Highlights

  • India’s ₹16,300 crore National Critical Minerals Mission aims to secure strategic minerals for manufacturing, defense, and clean energy sectors.
  • The seven-year plan targets reducing import dependency and developing domestic extraction capabilities through international partnerships.
  • Mission seeks to source 50% of power from non-fossil fuels by 2030, requiring substantial investment in rare mineral supply chains.

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy (opens in a new tab) outlines India’s National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) as a transformative initiative aimed at securing key resources like lithium, cobalt, and nickel to bolster India’s manufacturing, defense, and clean energy ambitions. With a ₹16,300 crore budget and a seven-year roadmap, the mission seeks to reduce import dependence, build domestic extraction capacity, forge international partnerships, and advance recycling technologies.

The plan reflects India’s urgency to diversify supply chains, counter geopolitical risks, and position itself as a self-reliant manufacturing hub. By 2030, India plans to source 50% of its power from non-fossil fuels, necessitating a steady supply of rare minerals for lithium-ion batteries and renewable energy technologies, as reported in multiple Indian media, including Indian Express (opens in a new tab).

Agreements with Argentina, Zambia, and the U.S. are framed as strategic moves to secure these critical resources.

Assumptions?

Yet, the article makes several assumptions without addressing key risks. It presumes that domestic mineral exploration will yield viable deposits despite India’s limited history in rare earth extraction. It also assumes that international partners will prioritize India over competing global demand, ignoring the fact that nations like China already dominate these supply chains. The feasibility of large-scale mineral recycling remains unclear, given the high costs and technological barriers. Moreover, the plan does not fully acknowledge the environmental and social impact of mining expansion in India, which could lead to land conflicts and ecological damage.

Moving Forward

Will India’s diplomatic leverage be enough to secure stable international supply chains? Can domestic mineral exploration match the aggressive timeline set by the NCMM? And how will India balance mineral security with environmental responsibility? While the mission is ambitious, its success hinges on resolving these unanswered challenges before India can emerge as a global leader in critical minerals.

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